Lucius and Guapo
by bobshady
Summary: Inspired by an RP with a friend, I've written down some of what we've done in our story. Guapo Oro, Meong-Fu, and the Seraphim Empire belong to Airstation Eighty-Six. Lucius Rook, Creed Scarletina, Umber Umbra, and things not belonging to Rooster Teeth belong to me.
1. Lucius serves as an assistant

Lucius finished his work and closed his book before getting out his teachers books and going through them. He had asked to and been given permission to be assigned to a teacher as an aid. His teacher, Mister Oro, or Guapo as he preferred, was an intelligent man, very passionate about teaching. In fact, at that very moment, he was teaching a young student of his. A clumsy girl by the name of Meong-Fu. Nice enough girl, short, pretty, intelligent in her own way and rather refined. She made good company for the teacher who was attempting to instruct her in martial arts. Lucius looked away as he continued going over his teachers work. Guapo was an excellent teacher, but he worked too hard sometimes. Lucius had at first been assigned to be his aid during class. After seeing how much Guapo did and how hard he worked for the other students, Lucius had taken it upon himself to help him more. It had started with bringing him his meals during breakfast and lunch. He later began to bring him his supper while he was working to ensure that he ate. Lucius offered to double check his work, citing a few mistakes Guapo had made in grading due to lack of sleep.

When Lucius had first started school, he had been getting six hours of sleep a night. Not enough for most people, but enough for him. Now, and he knew that Guapo was unaware of this, he was getting four. His morning would start when he awoke at four thirty. He would arise, clean himself and dress, say his prayers, and be off to make his breakfast. He would arrive at Guapo's door by five thirty and knock. If Guapo would not awaken, he would either pick the lock, or more recently, open it with the key he had been given as Guapo had laughed when he found out how he was getting in every morning and gave it to him to save time. He would see to it that Guapo was eating before he would go over his schedule and notes for the day with him. After breakfast, Lucius would leave to get his own morning meal while Guapo would dress. They would meet up again when Lucius had class with him. He would bring him tea and coffee in thermos', never really sure which he would prefer. Occasionally he would also bring him sweets either made by himself or by a friend of his named Umber. Throughout the class, Lucius would help anyone who needed it, and after school, he would tutor a team of underclassmen. Later, after his school day and obligations to his team were over, he would meet up again with Guapo, generally while he was giving a student additional lessons like he was currently for Miss Meong-Fu. After lessons, he would bring Guapo his dinner, along with extra if he had someone joining him. Like tonight. Meong-Fu had done well, showing much improvement and Guapo had offered to celebrate the occasion. Lucius considered smiling. He had noticed the looks Meong had been giving Guapo for some time. How much harder she worked for him. The way her eyes would light up at any praise give. He couldn't blame her... he himself had realized that he had fallen in love with the man a while ago. He did not interfere with their relationship. He understood. He was an outsider. A useful one, but not one Guapo ever really spent time with. He did not need combat lessons. Or help in school. In fact, Lucius had been considered a prodigy at the Monastery where he had been raised. He could defeat most Grimm with ease, and any opponent who faced him one on one was doomed from the start if he had five minutes to prepare. Loremaster, the leader of the Northern Enclave had himself taken note of his intelligence and ability to adapt and learn and had accepted him on as his apprentice. So, in honesty, he didn't need Guapo as Meong-Fu did. There were other reasons of course. He was not an expressive person, he knew that. He was not a loving person, he knew that. He also knew that Guapo was not one to fall in love with a man. Meong-Fu already had his attention anyways. Where Lucius was in the background or a manservant at most, Meong-Fu was his precious student. She was kind, interesting, and no doubt would become a capable fighter if she continued learning from Guapo... Where he could offer service and an ally, she could offer him a partner and...if she got her way, a lover...possibly someday even children...

And so he would watch. He would bring him his meals. He would aid him when he could. And he would not interfere with Meong and her hopes. Guapo deserved to be happy, and Meong did not deserve him to take her from him. He closed Guapo's book. Training was winding down. It was time to go get supper. He was thinking a simple stir-fry with bread and dumplings. Tea as well. And for dessert...


	2. Lucius makes a decision

Lucius had found her, the woman who could help him stand beside Guapo. It was not easy. He had needed to be subtle, never leaving a trace so as to not be found out.

Even though he had chosen to go against the tenets of his faith, it had still provided for him. The Enclave that had taken him in, the Northern Enclave, had been the repository for the wealth and knowledge of the faith. As it's only remaining survivor, its contents had gone to him. Much had been looted, but some had remained, precious metals, gems, and information. The information helped him the most. It had pointed him to the Eastern Enclave. They had been the science branch, always innovating and making life safer for others. What interested him though, was mention of one Doctor Almond Gloss. A brilliant scientist, she had been denied several times when she had asked for the chance to 'enhance' members of the faith. Eventually, the rejections became too much and she left.

He found her, nearly penniless, locking herself in so as she could continue her experiments. It had taken some convincing, but in the end, she had agreed to help him become stronger, become more. Between her knowledge and his resources, they were able to secure what they needed for his treatments.

*2 weeks after Lucius began treatment at a restaurant near Guapo's palace in Vale*

Lucius sat in a chair at a small cafe. He was waiting for someone. Occasionally his hand would shake, though he would bare it as best he could. The pain was manageable, though barely. His head hurt, his joints hurt. He could feel his musculature system straining, expanding. He sighed. He shouldn't be here, shouldn't have taken the risk... but he had to. He had to see him one last time in case... in case it didn't work...


	3. Lucius's adrenaline test

Lucius tried desperately to catch his breath. Something was wrong! His heart was pounding in his chest, his breath coming fast, his hands spasming, barely controllable. Something, something was wrong. He was angry. No, anger wasn't the right word. Lucius knew anger, lived with it every day. Anger, contempt, disdain... No, no this was something, something different. Something more. This was... was... RAGE!

Lucius's teeth were bared and his pupils narrowed as he hit the wall of the cage, nearly tearing the inch thick bars apart with his bar hands. He screamed and roared, slamming into the bars again and again. Doctor Gloss worked quickly to pump sedatives into his body. No good. She switched to electrical currents pulsing through the bars. That only made his rage worse, nearly catapaulting the two ton cage across the room. Thinking quickly, Almond did the one thing she had been unwilling to do to the son of Fenn. Release him.

Lucius roared his fury as the cage was sent to the surface above the facility. His hands twisted and deformed from breaking and being healed rapidly, they hit the bars once more and broke two out. Forcing himself through the small gap, Lucius took a moment to look around. Drawn to negativity, the Grimm were naturally attracted to his position in droves. Had they been capable of fear they may have shyed from Lucius's wolfish grin.

Doctor Gloss sat shaking at her workstation, no less terrified of what she had created than before. "I-it's just a m-matter of sealing away h-his faunus blood. Y-yes, that's i-it. If I-I can do that, he'll remain calm. A-always calm. N-no more anger. N-no more L-L-L... of the subject. Yes. Yes it is for the best...". Despite her best efforts and all the breathing exercises she knew, she still hadn't calmed down from earlier. She had released the subject above ground, unarmed, against a large horde of Grimm. It had taken Lucius over an hour to burn through his rage and anger before he collapsed near his cage. Almond had had her Atlesian Knights retrieve him, securing the subject back inside his cage before he was brought back down to her lab. Looking around, Almond figured that a glass of whiskey would not be amiss in helping to settle her nerves. Once more though she needed a knight, this time to pour the glass and hold it. She would have but her hand were shaking to badly to do anything. Who would have known the boy had so much fury? That a simple test of his adrenaline levels would spiral so far out of control?

Lucius groaned as he slowly awoke, loud cracks and pops mixed with pain in his hands distracting him from the immense throbbing in his head. He remembered what happened, though he had lost control for a while several times. He looked around his cage and spotted a nearby camera. He waved lazilly at her. "I'm back doc. You can let me out. Just... Let's hold off on pumping me full of adrenalin again anytime soon".


	4. Lucius's combat trial

Lucius yawned quietly as he looked out over the desert. It was his first time out of the lab now that his 'procedure' had been declared finished. It was time for his first combat test, his first real chance to see how much his body had been improved by Doctor Gloss' experiment. In the distance, he could see a gathering of Dune Witches as they tried to look like a caravan. They must have been young, the older ones could have passed for humans at a distance. They would do.

He started forward, soon gaining speed until he was at a dead sprint. He smiled slightly in exhilaration, running at speeds exceeding his old best. He leaped upwards, crashing down in the middle of the Grimm, surprising them with his speed. They weren't taken aback for long, not that it made a difference. Even as a child he could destroy a group of Dune Witches with ease. Now? Now, it was simply a test of his reflexes. Lucius would wait until the last possible instant before moving, and only moving enough to negate the strike. He weaved and danced with them for several minutes, getting a feel for his new speed and strength.

Just as Lucius was getting bored with the test, a new attacker burst from the sands. A large Deathstalker, one with a bad attitude, attacked him. Lucius took the opportunity to finally attack, with less effort than expected driving his fist through the hard carapace of the beast. The creature shrieked loudly, swinging its claws back and forth at him as it sought to skewer him with its tail. Taking a gamble, Lucius allowed the stinger to strike him, cutting open his arm. He could feel the venom burn in his bloodstream as he crushed the last of the Dune Witches. Thinking victory was near, the Deathstalker charged Lucius, expecting it's venom to weaken or kill him. It did neither. Lucius grit his teeth, wanting to see what strength his muscles could put out. They did not disappoint. The hardened shell of the monster broke and cracked, it's exoskeleton shattered as Lucius struck it again and again. Panting lightly, Lucius stood back and watched it's crushed remains as they began to dissipate. He checked his arm where the one strike he allowed past was. The scratch from the Deathstalker had already healed, it's venom already broken down into a harmless state. He marveled at his body and the work of the good doctor. Now if only there was a way to relieve the pain...

Doctor Almond Gloss smiled in satisfaction as she viewed her monitor. She had placed sensors all across Lucius's body, ensuring that his first combat test would be recorded. There would be more tests needed, many more she thought to herself, but so far her subject had displayed speed and strength that outmatched that of even veteran Huntsmen. His DNA had stabilized after some minor changes in her formula, though the subject's faunus traits had come to the fore as a result. Doctor Gloss made a note to screen for any other subjects last three generations to ensure that any aberrations fell within acceptable parameters. She had to admit though that she found it mildly amusing for Lucius Rook of all people to now sport the cutest set of fluffy fox ears she'd ever seen. She had never even considered that Fenn Rook, leader of the White Fang members in the Faith in Flame, was related to Lucius. Her smile turned to one of melancholy as she thought of her old friend and what he would think of her work on his son.


	5. Lucius attempts to escape

Lucius grit his teeth as he dragged himself away from the burning building behind him. That woman...He had known that she was intending to make a move soon, he just hadn't thought it would be against him. Clever bitch. He could almost respect that. Almost.

Once he was far enough away he crawled to his feet and began a limping run. He had lost his left arm up to the elbow in the blast, and he could feel shrapnel throughout his body. He coughed and spit some blood to the side before continuing onward. He could hear her tin soldiers combing the woods for him. They would pick up his trail soon, so he'd best get ready.

Lucius pulled one of his last knives from its holster and rested against a tree trunk as he began the task of binding his amputated arm. The gene modifications Doctor Almond had given him years ago still seemed to be working, the blood already clotting in his injured arm so that he didn't lose more. He growled quietly as he pulled his belt tight around it, catching his breath as he began hearing the forest around him becoming more active.

Peering out from behind his tree, Lucius caught sight of one of Coppélia's personal USD bots. Modified so as to be more combat effective, there were none of the gentle designs from the older models. These ones were killing machines, nothing more. Designed to have faster than human reflexes, utilizing monofilament cables as whips, reinforced frames with both laser and conventional weapons built in, and with linked sensors so that they all could react to threats, they were truly works of martial genius...and they stood no chance.

Fury pushing his body faster than the bots could keep up with, Lucius sprinted out from cover to nearly bisect the lead's head with his knife. The others turned as one to attack him, heedless of the friendly fire the damaged unit suffered. A bisected head would not be enough to stop one of these, their motivators built into their spines for extra protection, but the combined fire of the twenty-three others made quick work of the first bot.

To bad for them that Lucius knew a flaw in their programming... Having shielded himself with his cards and the bot's body, he was able to weather their assault. As the bots fired their last rounds and began reloading, Lucius cast his cards outward, taking another two apart at the joints as he turned the laser weapon of the first on to its fellows.

Built to mimic the human form, the bots were of great use but had a large flaw...where the human heart would be is where their combat IFF system was. Destroying them on half of the bots, the others identified them as enemies and turned on them. Lucius cut apart or sliced any of the bots not destroyed in the ensuing gun battle before he once more began making his way through the woods.

Lucius finally took a chance to rest in a small safe house he kept in the forest and began to check his wounds. His arm throbbed painfully but he blocked it out, instead focusing on digging the various pieces of shrapnel from his body. Taking off his shirt, he put it in the fireplace to burn on his way out as he headed for the bathroom. Switching on a feed from his network, Lucius began showering as he learned that a full quarter of his safe houses had been raided and he was officially labeled an enemy of the state with a massive bounty on his head. He sighed and resigned himself to a quick shower with cold water.

When finished he properly bandaged himself and put on some army surplus clothing and buttoning his left sleeve up so as not to leave it hanging and easy to get a hold of. He figured that if need be he could pose as a veteran from the war who had fallen on hard times. Eating a few MREs he had stashed away, he gathered up some more knives, a cane with a sword hidden inside, and a service pistol with extra ammo.

Thinking over his list of options as he packed a rucksack, Lucius narrowed his eyes at the thought of Coppélia winning this round. He would need time to recuperate, to build or grow a new arm, and she would use this time to strengthen her position in the government and over Astra. He held some hope that Creed could withstand that woman's machinations, but he still considered contingency plans in case she was removed from her role or, hopefully not, ended her own life.

Lighting his old outfit on fire and setting the incendiaries in the walls to detonate in twenty minutes, Lucius headed out the door. Since Vale would be too dangerous, Atlas more so, Vacuo lacking what he needed and Mistral to full of people willing to betray him for that bounty, Lucius decided that a sojourn to his homeland was needed once more. Doctor Almond Gloss would likely be annoyed that he was missing his arm, but knowing her, she would see it as a chance to make him a better one. Coppélia would lead the Empire, Astra would be her figurehead, but Lucius would return once more. "Everything burns, everything dies, and it is from the ashes that life is born anew. You know not what you do woman, and you know not what hell I'll unleash upon you before you die for desecrating his legacy, and using his daughter...".


End file.
